Friday, January 29, 2016

Primitiv/Immortal & Vile/Transcending Obscurity Distribution/2016 CD Review


  Primitiv  are  a  band  from  India  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album "Immortal  &  Vile"  which  was  released  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Distribution.

  A  very  dark  futuristic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  demonic  vocals and  symphonic  sounds  and  after  the  intro the  music  starts  adding in  a  very  old  school  doom  metal  sound  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  elements  of  groove  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  a  very  melodic  sound  to  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  and  early  90's  but  with  a  more  modern  production/

  Some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  and  after  awhile  screams  are  brought  onto  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  one  track  that  is  long  and  epic  in  length  which  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album  which  is  also  utilized  again  later  on  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Primitiv  plays  a  style  of  death  metal t hat  goes  back  to  the  mid  80's  and  early  90's  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  proto  doom,  the  production  sounds  very  professional while  the  lyrics  cover  Science  Fiction,  Dystopia,  and  Fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Primitiv  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Clash  of  the  Gods"  "Lake  Rancid"  and  "Lords  Of  Primitiv".  8  out  of  10.   

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Zombieslut Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?


Since the release of "Undead Commando" we weren't able to play live since our drummer Hamdi had do undergo some complicated knee surgery and we didn't want a replacement drummer. So we made the best out of this and are currently experimenting on even more brutal sounds and working on new songs since then.  The new album is taking shape and is nearly done in demo state with programmed drums of course. Hamdi will have a lot to do when he is back in business in a few weeks.


2.In November you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


First of all we tuned down a few steps for a more massive sound. Especially for the doom parts (of which there are many more) this is really great since you literally feel the lava oozing out of your speakers. Furthermore, there are two guitars since Joe joined our congregation! Especially in the live experience the sound therefore also is more massive. The vocals are also more variable and also a bit deeper.


3.This is the first album to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?


We experienced the fate of every free-time band, I think. Besides going to our regular jobs, going to our regular jobs  and going to our regular jobs a bit more we did rehearsals, played 7 to 8 bigger and smaller regional shows a year, often as support for international bands such as NERVOCHAOS or KROW. We also did some songwriting, but the recording process wouldn't start at once. When Joe joined our ranks on the second guitar in 2013, things became more dynamic and creative once more.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?


There always is the superficial horror theme first of all. If you go deeper, you will find elements of social criticism, hatred against all people that treat you wrong or exploit you and lots of antireligious stuff. Kind of our Zombieslut's crusade for justice and peace, haha!


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Zombieslut'?


Well - we were drunk when we wanted to come up with a new band name that contains some dirty horror elements. That's one side of the story. On the other hand we all have to cheaply sell a big part of our lifetime to our bosses - that makes you kind of a slut. When you go to work by train in the morning you see a lot of these tired moaning and yawning Zombiesluts staring out of the window in a half-life state. There you go.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?


We always want to have the most massive sound possible. The guitars have to sound like a wall or a bulldozer parking on your face. The rest is metal cliché. The long haired guys are banging, I am growling all the time or doing cryptic and sometimes funny announcements. Of course I also bang, but without long hair...You should book us for a show!

The best shows so far have been countless! Which means we loved every show we played...the best in memory would be the Kraichgau Inferno (where we did a legendary cover song with some ex-GUT-members), the Waldpark Open Air and the Rhein-Neckar-Metal-Festival 2010. Not to forget the shows we played with our mates from Brazil!


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?


Of course! When our drummer will be ready in a few weeks we will start rehearsing again and play the Rhein-Neckar-Metal-Festival once more. Some concert-slots are still pending, but we are in no hurry. Touring would be great, but it takes time and money for a humble underground band.

Besides, the new album has to be recorded (maybe also an EP before that). It won't take us 5 years until the next release, I promise (or is it a threat?)!


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and doom metal?


Feedback has been generally great, especially from the more doom-afflicted fellows. Everybody loved the sound so far. For some Death-Metal-Maniacs the album is too long and some songs not complicated enough, but hey, we don't want to please everbody, right? For us doing this mixture of Doom and simplistic Groove is the very right thing to do!


9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?


Yes, there are a few. Joe is also playing guitar at NUNWHORE COMMANDO 666 and is the mastermind behind GLOOM WARFARE, Hamdi is playing drums at WAR AGENDA, Hamdi and I also have a Stoner Metal project called WEED WIZARD going on. Mojo is playing bass at SICKND.


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?


Even more brutal and rough sounds, more massive, deeper into the abyss of Doom/Death Metal.


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

All four of us are very open minded in the music we listen to. Of course we love extreme Doom and Death Metal, but there always is Thrash and classic Heavy stuff to consider. Don't forget Crust, Punk and the occasional Industrial and electronic stuff! For myself please add Stoner, Rockabilly, Psychobilly or basically everything with strings.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Football, movies and video games! Mojo also is quite the climber.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

I would quote some more famous guys: It's a long way to the top if you wanna Rocknroll! And maximum volume yields maximum results.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

The World State/Traced Through Dust And Time/2016 Full Length Review


  The  World  State  are  a  band  from  Denmark that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  avant  garde  from  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Traced  through  Dust  And  Time"  which  will  be  released  in  March.

  Nature  and  avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  exotic  scales  and  synths  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  operatic  male  and  female  vocals  being  added  into  the  music  as well  as  some  ethnic  folk  instruments  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  amke  their  presence  known  in t he  future.

  Once  the  music  gets  heavy  it  brings  in  more  of  a  goth  metal  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  the  synths  also  give  the  songs  a  symphonic  and  epic  neo-classical  music  feeling  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  a  bit  more  up beat and  every  track  has  a  different  sound  to  it   while some songs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  folk  music.

  The  World  State  creates  another  album t hat  continues  the  symphonic  and  avant  garde  metal  style  of  previous  recordings  while  also  getting  more  melodic  and  experimental  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  the  World  State  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  avant  garde  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Castle  For  The  Battles  I  Fight"  "From  Oblivion  To  Life  Again"  and  "Everything  Changes". 8  out of  10. 

Excruciation/Crust/WormHoleDeath Records/2016 CD Review


  Excruciation  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  doom,  death  metal  and  thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Crust"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and old  school  doom/death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some growling  vocals  that  actually  have  a  melodic  tone  to  them at  times  going  back  to the mid  80's  days  of  the  genre  and  clean  playing  along  with  regular  singing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  musical  fashion  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts and  as  the  album  progresses  the  guitar  riffs  start  adding  in  more  thrash  influences  and  all of  the  songs  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Excruiciation  creates  another  recording  that  mixes  the  mid  80's  style  of  thrash,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them together  while  still  having  a  more modern  take  on  the  styles,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  humanity  and  human  emotions.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Excruciation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Disgrace"  "The  Scent  Of  The  Dead"  and  "Glorious  Times".  8  out  of  10.   

The Fog/Perpetual Blackness/Memento Mori/2016 CD Review


  The  Fog  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016 album  "Perpetual  Blackness"  which  was  released  by  Memento  Mori.

  A very  dark  horror  movie  soundtrack  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  powerful  bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  sound  and  after  awhile  old  school  death  metal  growls  start  making  their  presence  known  in  the  music.

  All  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  and  early  90's  going  back  to  the  original  days  of  doom/death  metal  when t he  genre  was  still  staring  out  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow  and  mid  paced  parts  as  well  as  speeding  up  briefly  and  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  tracks  avoid  ever  using  any  guitar  solos and  leads  and  the  spoken  word  parts  on  the  last  track  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling.

  The  Fog  goes  back  to  the  mid  80's  and  early  90's  era  of  death  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  in  a  primitive  fashion  to  create  an  album  that  is  very  retro  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  despair,  darkness  and  void  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Fog  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Crawling  Doom"  "Gloom  Shoals"  and  "Grievous  Scourge".  8  out  of  10.  

 

Friday, January 22, 2016

Zombieslut/Undead Commando/Rotten Roll Rex/2015 CD Review


  Zombieslut  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  brutal  form  of  gore/death  metal  with  a  touch  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  "Undead  Commando' which  was  released  by  Rotten  Roll  Rex.

  Horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  more  heavy  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  also  brings  in a  touch  of  grindcore  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  riffs  also  utilize  dark  sounding  melodies  and  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  horror  movie  samples  also  return  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  20  years  ago  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  slower  riffs  show  an  influence  of  doom  metal.

  Zombieslut  plays  a  style  of  death  metal t hat  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style  and  adds  grindcore  in  the  fast  parts  while  the  slower  riffs  are  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  which  also  makes  their  music  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Zombieslut  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  death  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  doom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Talk  To  The  Dead'  "Revenge  Of  the  Malevolent  Unmade"  "Living  Corpse"  and  "Decayed  Messiah". outof10.

Traffic Death Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Garan: We're just a group of dudes from Des Moines who have been in the scene and known each other for awhile and have similar musical tastes and goals so we figured we all know the ropes so this could run pretty smoothly, and it has.
Brian: We all have a lot of different influences musically, be it punk rock, grind, thrash, doom etc., and I think all of those influences come through in our songwriting to make something fun that you can never really tell where it's going to go to next.
Nate: We are all guys who "Not to speak for everyone" but I feel that we want to do something different. Music has become sort of repetitive and uninspired not to mention it is often weak and lame. Traffic Death for me anyway is my way of combating that.
Andrew:  4 different dudes with 4 different 'tudes. We have a healthy appreciation of punk and metal and I think that is displayed in our jams.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Garan: We try not to be pigeon-holed into any particular sound. We are influenced by too many genres to want to stick to one all the time plus that gets boring to the listener I think. You can hear everything on this EP from pure old school hardcore and punk in some songs, speed/thrash in others and even good old classic rock and roll in our Girlschool cover of "Hit and Run"
Brian: I think it's a good next step from where we left off on the LP. You can tell we have definitely started to nail down our sound and style on this EP.
Nate: It's covers a lot of ground as far as what we do which is a little bit of everything we are into. There is everything from Violent Punk/Hardcore to riffing slower riffs, speed/thrash shredding and a cover of Girlschools NWOBHM classic "Hit & Run" I know its cliche but we don't pigeonhole what we do musically. Someone brings an idea to the table and it can either end up being a 3 minute song with multiple parts, a break and a solo or it can end up being a 30 second ripper. being that we listen to all kinds of stuff its easy to justify just about anything.
Andrew: I feel it's a form of crossover. I think people tend think of crossover as a "D.R.I." sound, but I think the EP reflects our punk/hardcore/metal enthusiasm.

3.Most of the band members have experience playing in other bands, what are some of the things you bring into the music of this group that you where not able to do with your other bands or projects?
Garan: Mostly it's just different riffing styles and influences that seperates my two bands. Mainly what I bring to the table in Traffic Death is fast guitar playing and solos. I try to keep the riffs and solos clean and solid so they are audible to the listener while making sure to have the attitude and aggression into the playing that this music needs. That is what is most important, without that attitude and raw fuckin aggression in your sound you might as well pack it up for a band like this.
Brian: I think at least with other bands Ive been in is that it's easy for things to kinda get stale and you just kinda start going through the motions when you practice or play shows and we all bring an energy and a drive to just keep things fresh and to always be working on something new.
Nate: For me I have always been very fortunate in the bands I have played with, other than one band I was always able to write whatever lyrics I wanted and scream or growl or whatever without any flack or negative feedback. I cant imagine being in a band that you are not allowed to work within your space in the way you want. If its not fun whats the point.
Andrew: Personally I don't feel inhibited with bringing riffs to the table. I've always brought my riffs in to practice and had confidence behind them. We can do whatever we want musically.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Garan: Our vocalist can probably elaborate more than I can but generally the downfall of our civilization (idiocracy if you will), How people flat out can't drive to begin with and how technology is making it even worse while also elaborating on the many other things in life technology is taking all the fun out of, and of course plenty to do with bodies laying in twisted wreckage of course!
Brian: We all have a lot of different influences musically, be it punk rock, grind, thrash, doom etc., and I think all of those influences come through in our songwriting to make something fun that you can never really tell where it's going to go to next.
Nate: I have been writing a lot of lyrics about people and things that piss me off on a daily basis i.e. modern folks who live on their cell phone, base their importance on their number of facebook "friends" they have, overweight americans, people who start fights at shows, those who fuck people over on a regular basis, that mother fucker Cancer that seems to keep killing everyone and my battle with various things that try to get in my way. there are also songs about collecting VHS and Horror themes from my lifelong love of Horror Films. I feel that a lot of times horror movies are much easier to digest than the horrors that happen in real life, its an escape from true horror
Andrew: The horrors of real life death!

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Traffic Death'?
Garan: See answer 4 combined with the fact that we have signs in Des Moines that inform us of how many traffic deaths have occured in Iowa this year to date. They also follow that with little slogans to remind us to drive better. One of them read "Buckle up, Don't be a Projectile" so that's where we got our first album title from.
Brian: Here in Iowa we have signs on the interstate that tell you how many people have died on the roads in the state so far for the year. It'll say like 87 Traffic Deaths this year. Sometimes they will have weird sayings displayed on them too which is where we also got the name for the LP and the song Don't Be A Projectile.
Nate: If you look at the B side of the new EP there is a vintage sign that used to be up in our downtown. It keeps track of how many people die every year on our roadways, this tradition goes back to the dawn of our freeways and highways. Now these signs hang over most Cities as you come into town and it will tell you the Traffic Death's for the year and you can watch that number rise each and every day.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Garan:I would describe our stage performance as being intense. I've always wanted to be part of one of those  bands where when you walk in halfway through their set it seems like you're walking into world war III or something. I think we have accomplished that with this band between the intensity of Nate's vocals and speed of our songs. We have played some great shows with In Defence, Lockgnar, Morbid Saint, Nekrofilth, Ghoul, and Phobia just to name a few.
Brian: Getting to play with Ghoul, Phobia and Nekrofilth was one of my favorite shows we've played, or any of the times we've played with The Lurking Corpses or In Defence. Both of those bands are always fun to play shows with. We try to create a lot of energy on stage when we play and use sound samples between songs to help keep that energy going and bang out songs really quickly so there isn't and wasted time on stage.
Nate: The other dudes already mentioned some highlights, also we have done shows with Savage Master and The Lurking Corpses who are both great. I think we have a high energy stage performance, people seem to get into it.
Andrew:I love every show we play, because "life is precious and god and the bible!" Seriously though, I just love to play and because of that love, we deliver the goods live on stage.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Garan: Our plan is to hit the road as often as we can. A couple of our members have responsibilities that are more important than being on the road right now but we hope to in the near future and we will be playing some short stints out of state occasionally.
Brian: There's always plans but nothing really set yet.
Nate: We plan on doing some shows regionally as soon as possible. We would like to do some full scale tours in the not so distant future, it's all based on timing.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your recordings by fans of extreme music?
Garan: I have personally received message from the Philippines and Australia as well as all over the US. I think the word is spreading slowly but surely. In this line of music nothing happens overnight.
Brian: Everyone I've heard from seems to like what we're doing which is always good to hear. Grind Planet Tapes out of Malaysia I believe was awesome enough to release our new EP on tape with our LP.
Nate: People seem to dig it for the most part, some people don't get it like purist's, if your only into Grindcore or only into punk rock etc. it might be hard to understand what we are doing. I think it will make more sense as we keep releasing records.
Andrew: I've talked to people from Canada, the U.S. Vietnam, Mexico and England via Facebook about TD.


9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Garan: I am also in Dark Mirror which is somewhat of a mash up of NWOBHM and more moderately paced thrash tunes.
Brian: I play drums in a crossover punk band Nancy Grace Death Squad, and I'm also working on a couple other projects right now. One is more of like a New York Dolls/Stooges type project and the other is more of a straight up punk band.
Nate: I am currently only involved in this band.
Andrew:I have that second album in my sights!

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Garan: We already have a full length LP out called "Don't be a Projectile". We are working on a split 7" right now with the Lurking Corpses and after that we will be working on a new LP.
Brian: We just got done recording for a split 7" with The Lurking Corpses and are going to be recording a couple songs for a local comp soon. So while we are working on songs for the comp we will also be writing songs for a new release whether it's an EP or LP.
Nate: We will be writing for a new record in coming months.
Andrew:I have that second album in my sights!

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Garan: I mainly grew up listening to thrash because I thought it was the perfect marriage of aggressive music and talent and musicianship on your instrument but there was also soul and substance there which I found otjer types of metal seemed to lack sometimes. I also listened to plenty of Sabbath and Judas Priest during those times along with some influence from Buckethead and Zakk Wylde along the way. Nowadays I listen to almost all forms of extreme metal regularly but you're just as likely to catch me listening to Paul Simon, Bootsy Collins or Stanley Clarke as you are to catch me listening to thrash or punk album.
Brian: I always loved early '80's hardcore, skate punk and UK '82 stuff. Felix Griffin from DRI was one of the biggest influences when I first started playing drums. Lately I mostly listen to like the classic UK punk and oi! bands and also newer punk bands like Bad Engrish, The Defectives, Victory, Virgin Whores etc.
Nate: I am kind of influenced by everything I take in, which is pretty broad net ranging from Warfare, Death, Demolition Hammer, Satan, Spazz, Noothgrush, Fistula, Grief, The Dicks, Bad Brains, Autopsy, The Afternoon Gentlemen, Crude SS, Despise You, Splatterhouse, Razor, State of Fear, Assrash, Filth, Submachine ...This list could go on forever but the stuff I have been really digging on is extreme music that even thought the singer is screaming you can still tell what is being said. I think what mostly influences my lyric writing though is just being out in the world.
Andrew: I started out listening to a lot of 80'S hardcore when I  was coming up.  Negative Approach, Minor Threat and all that. Shortly after that I got heavy into Venom, Bathory and all that good stuff. However, Black Sabbath is king in my world! I still listen to the same stuff, but my mind has expanded to lots of 70's prog, pysch rock, old garage rock, jazz, etc.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Garan: Not much really. I feel almost possessed by music. Almost to the point of it being a burden. I enjoy hanging with good friends, traveling, cooking and grilling and an occasional hockey game.
Nate: I am really big into collecting VHS. I love going out and looking for tapes and watching old movies that nobody cares about, people always ask me if I saw or am going to see a new movie that has just been released. I have to tell them I am still trying to watch the 3,000+ Movies I have hoarded in my basement. I also am a screen printer and I run a VHS Company logo distro which can be found at mediacrypt.bigcartel.com

Andrew:Watching movies all the time, drinking all this beer and wine! Sit home and rot! Ha! Not all the time though!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Garan: Not much to add. Thanks for the interview!
Brian: Check out our Facebook page for info about upcoming shows and releases or our bandcamp page at trafficdeath.bandcamp.com for free streaming of either of our records. You can order either of them off of there or on givepraiserecords.com
Nate: Thanks for the support, Anyone looking to do trades for our LP AND 7" please contact me at: ihavethepower30@gmail.com
Andrew:Thank you very much!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Hate & Merda/La Capitale Del Male/Toten Schwan Records/2016 Full Length Review


  Hate  &  Merda  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental,  noise,  alternative,  hardcore  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "La  Capitale  Del  male"  which  was  released  by  Toten  Schwan  Records.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  gets  getting more  heavier  and  distorted  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  on  the  second  track the  music  adds  in  elements  of  sludge  and  punk  along  with  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  as  well  as  some  angry  shouting vocals.

  Elements  of  alternative  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  arts  also return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  gets  experimental  at  times  and  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  noise  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  of  the  songs  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Hate  &  Merda  plays  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  that  takes  the  heaviness  and  doom  metal  while  also  being  very  experimental  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Latin  and  cover  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hate  &  Merda  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "FOH"  and  "Vai  Via".  8  out  of  10.  

On Thorns I Lay Interview


1.    Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?


-Νοt a lot of things..After the release of Egocentric album,we recorded some new songs in 2006 for our next album..but unfortunately we could not find a good label to release it..so we decided to make a break until last year when we had a new contract with Sleaszy Rider rec..so we decided to restart the band..

2.    In October you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

-I think that we continue to be an atmospheric metal band but after so many years we try to offer something new in every new stuff we record..This is the biggest difference from our past..

3.    This is the first album to be released in 12 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

-Not so many things..We never stop to write new songs but we release something only when we feel that will be something good..We prefer to speak through our music only..

4.    Also the album is a lot more heavier than your last few albums, what was the decision behind bringing back some of your roots?

-After “Egocentric” album we felt that we don t sound like a metal band..Don t forget  that our roots are always to classic atmospheric death metal bands like:CELESTIAL SEASON,BEYOND DAWN,old THE GATHERING and ANATHEMA..So  I think that was a good decision.

5.    What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
-As always we speak about solitude,melancholy.fear and darkness..

6.    Originally the band was known as 'Paralysis' then 'Phlebotmy', what was the decision behind the name changes and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'On Thorns I Lay'?

-When we started we liked to play brutal death metal with some atmesheric parts..The reason of name change to ON THORNS I LAY was that we didn’t
want to have a similar name with our favourite band PHLEBOTOMISED..

7.    What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

-With Katatonia in Greece,with Tiamat in Turkey and with Dream Theater in Rockwave festival..Our stage performance is atmospheric as we like to be..

8.    Do you have nay touring or show plans for the future?

-No.We  don t have plans for touring..maybe some gigs in the future..

9.    The new album was released on 'Sleaszy Rider Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

-Sleaszy Rider is a very good Greek label with a lot of releases every year and good distribution worldwide.

10. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of metal?
-I really don t know…It s something that we never thing about it..We just play the music we like and this is enough for us.

11. Are any of the band members in any other bands or musical projects these days?

-Only our drummer Fotis..to Sorrowful Winds

12. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

-We don t make future plans..but our next 8th album is almost ready and I sounds like Orama..

13. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

-       Nowdays I like bands like Dead Congregation,Swallow of the Sun,Ulver .Draconian etc..About our influences,I told you before..

14. What are some of your non musical interests?

-       I travel a lot…also movie films,read books and Theater..

15. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you for interview..Support ON THORNS I LAY and atmospheric metal..Dream and love forever..

Monday, January 18, 2016

Beneath Slumber Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
-BEANEATH SLUMBER ARE SLOWLY WORKING ON THE SECOND ALBUM-
"DARKNESS, DEATH AND DOOM"!

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
-ITS SLOW, DARK AND OLDSCHOOL DOOM-METAL!

3.The band members have a history playing in other bands, what are some things that you bring into this group that you have not been able to do with your other musical projects?
-THE SOUND OF BENEATH SLUMBER ARE A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER BANDS EACH MEMBER PLAY IN. MUSIC IS MAINLY MADE BY ARGANAS(NÅSTROND) WITH HELP FROM MIIKA(AJATUS). THOMAS(PAGAN RITES/DEVIL LEE ROT ETC) EEIRE VOCALS BRINGS THE UTTER DARKNESS WE WANT TO THE SONGS. MUSIC IS SLOWER, DARKER AND WITH DIFFERENT SOUND TO IT.

4.Your lyrics cover some Occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?
-THE SONG TITLES ARE MADE BY ARGANAS AND LYRICS ARE MADE BY THOMAS ON THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH ALBUM. OCCULTISM HAVE BEEN AN INTEREST OF ALL MEMBERS ALONG TIME, WHEN WE STARTED TO LISTEN TO METAL AND READING BOOKS AND LOKKING TO MOVIES. ALL AS PERSONAL APPROACH TO IT.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Beneath Slumber'
- DEATH LAYS BEANEATH THE SLUMBER. BENEATH SLUMBER IS DEATH.

6.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?
-IT STARTED AS ARGANAS OWN PROJECT. AND HAVE NOT BEEN MENT TO PLAY LIVE. WHEN MIIKA AND THOMAS JOINED, THEY TALKED ABOUT LIVE GIGS. BUT NOTHING IS SET IN STONE.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal?
-MOST PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO SIMILAR MUSIC ARE INTO IT. OTHERS CANT FIHURE IT OUT. BUT WE DONT CARE. WE MAKE MUSIC WE WANT TO LISTEN TOO.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the other band members are a part of?
-NÅSTROND ARE ALWAYS MAKING MUSIC, BUT NOTHING READY YETTO BE RELEASED. AJATUS ARE WORKING ON THEIR 2ND ALBUM, WHILE WAITING FOR THE FIRST ONE TO BE RELEASED. PAGAN RITES/DEVIL LEE ROT HAVE NEW MUSIC COMING OUT.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
-ARAGANAS HAVE ALREADY FINNISHED AROUND 15 DEMO ALBUMS. MUSIC IS THE SAME MOSTLY, BUT ADDING/CHANGING SMALL THINGS. SO WE HAVE MATERIAL TO WORK WITH. AND NOW WE HAVE STARTED WITH 2ND ALBUM.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
-PAST BANDS ARE PARADISE LOST/ANATHEMA/VENOM/CELTIC FROST, THAT HAVE INFLUENCED BENEATH SLUMBER. TODAY WE LISTEN TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MUSIC, BUT IT HAS NOT INFLUENCED BENEATH SLUMBER THAT MUCH I THINK.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
-WE ALL LIVE FOR MUSIC. SOME OTHER INTERESTS ARE MOVIES.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
-THANX AND BUY OUR CD -"TRIUMPH OF DEATH", SUPPORT BENEATH SLUMBER!

Friday, January 15, 2016

Love Sex Machine/Asexual Anger/Lost Pilgrims Records/2016 CD Review


  Love  Sex  Machine  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before in  this  zine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Asexual  Anger"  which  was  released  by  Lost  Pilgrims  Records.

   A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  and  a  few  seconds  later  high  pitched  sludge  screams  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  slower  riffs  brings  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments   have  a  very   powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  while  also  remaining  heavy.

  Solos  and  leads  are  mostly  absent  from  the  songs  and  are  only  used  briefly  while  the  melodies  do  bring  in  elements  of  post  metal  and  hardcore  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  some  songs  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  crust.

  Love  Sex  Machine   plays  a  style  of  sludge  that  is  very  slow  and  also  mix  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  hardcore  to  create  a  very  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Love  Sex  Machine  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Drone  Syndrome"  "Devolution"  and  "Silent  Duck".  8  out  of  10. 

Za La Thu/Self Titled/2015 Full Length Review


  Za  La  Thu  are  a  duo  from  Alabama  that  plays  an  occult  mixture  of  industrial,  goth,  death  metal  and  avant  garde  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2015  album.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  after  awhile  clean  singing  female  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  At  times  the  music  brings  in  the  energy  of  punk  rock  and  elements  of  goth  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  an  early  90's  style  of  Swedish  death  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  industrial  and  world  music  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with some tribal  beats  being  used  at  times  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  few  tracks  also  brings  in  a  few  seconds  of  male  vocals  and  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  on t he  closing  song.

  Za  La  Thu  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death  and  industrial  metal  style  guitars  and  mixes  it  in  with  occult/goth  rock  vocals  and  elements  of  avant  garde,  ritual  and  world  music  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Thelema,  Enochian,  Magick,  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Za  La  Thu  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  goth,  industrial  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Enslaved  Walk  Free"  "Vril  Machine"  "Hail,  Hail  Babalon"  and  "Serpent  Power".  8  out  of  10.

  

  

 

 

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

In Memory/LaKrima/Sleaszy Rider Records/2015 CD Review


  In  Memory  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  originally  started  out  playing  melodic  death  metal  but  have  evolved  into  more  of  a  progressive/symphonic/goth  metal  band  over  the  years  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "LaKrima"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  Electronic  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy,  atmospheric  and  melodic  goth  metal  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  clean  singing  female  vocals  and  elements  of  prog  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  add  a  progressive  rock  feeling  to  the  recording.

  A  lot  of  the  music  goes  for  more  of  a  modern  mainstream  metal  or  rock  sound  and  some  of  the  riffs  add  in  a  touch  of  melodic  death  metal  and  the  keyboards  also  gives  the  music  a  tragic  atmosphere  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  on  one  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  they  also  do  a  cover  of  "I'M  So  Excited"..

  In  Memory  move  even  further  away  from  their  melodic  death  metal  roots  on  this  recording  going  for  more  of  a  symphonic  and  gothic  prog  metal  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  personal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  In  Memory  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic,  goth  and  prog  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dust"  "My  Strength"  "Sweet  Deceiver"  and  "The  Jewel  Of  My  Life".  8  ut  of  10.

 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

On Thorns I Lay/Eternal Silence/Sleaszy Rider Records/2015 CD Review


  On  Thorns  I  Lay  are  a  band  from  Greece  that plays  an  atmospheric  and  goth  form  of  doom/death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Eternal  Silence"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  female  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  heavy  guitars  while  the  music  also  remains  atmospheric  as  well  as  adding  in  violins  at  times  and  death  metal  growls  also  are  a  part  off  the  music.

  Black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  alternates  between  both  the  soft  and  heavy  parts  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording and  female  vocals  are  also  brought  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  instrumental  tracks  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  On  Thorns  I  Lay  plays  a musical  style  that  has  its  roots  in  the  90's  goth  doom/death  metal  style  while  also  taking  it  into  a  more  modern  musical  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorrow,  pain,  human  feelings  and  emotions.

  On  my  opinion  On  Thorns  I  Lay  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Breathing"  "Life  Without  You"  and  "One  Day  to  Live". 8  out  of  10.  

 

Beneath Slumber/Triumph Of Death/Black Vulture Records/2015 CD Review


 Beneath  Slumber  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Triumph  Of  Death"  which  was  released  by  black  Vulture  Records.

  A very  dark  and  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  echoed  spoken  word  parts  and  after  the  intro  the  music  keeps  around  a  ritualistic  atmosphere  while  also  getting  heavier  at  the  same  time  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  grim  vocals  and  clean  singing  can  also  be  quite a  bit.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  of  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  while  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  melodies  at  times  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  90's  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  when  keyboards  are  added  into  the  music  they give  the  music  more  of  a  haunting  and  evil  feeling  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Beneath  Slumber  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while also  using  more  of  a  melodic  yet  grim approach  to  vocals  as  well  as  being  very  ritualistic  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Darkness  and  Anti  Religion  themes. 

 In  my  opinion  Beneath  Slumber  are  a  very  great  sounding  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  0.INCLUDE  "Turn  The  Cross"  and  "Heil  Satan".  8  out  of  1-

Monday, January 11, 2016

Traffic Death/Terror On The Freeway/Give Praise Records/2016 EP Review


  Traffic  Death  are  a  band  from  Des  Moines,  Iowa  that  plays  a  mixture  of  punk,  grind,  thrash,  doom,  crust,  power  violence  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Terror  On  The  Freeway"  which  was  released  by  Give  Praise  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  thrash/punk  direction  that  also  uses  grindcore  style  screams  and  hardcore  style  shouts  as  well  as  mixing  in  d  beats  to  create  a  very  crossover  orientated  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  riffs  can  also  be  very  melodic  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  with  the  slower  sections  being  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  the  spoken  word  samples  bring  back  some memories  of  the  90's  power  violence  bands  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  old  school  feeling.

 Traffic  Death  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  80's  thrash/crossover  sound  while  also  taking  it  into  a  more  heavy  and  raw  direction  that  also  sees  the  music  incorporating  elements  of  doom,  grind,  power  violence  and  crust  to  create  a  very  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  angry  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Traffic  Death  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   punk,  grind,  thrash,  doom,  crust,  power  violence  and  hardcore   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuck  Cancer"  and  "Thirst".  8  out  of  10.  

  

 

Monday, January 4, 2016

Flummox/Selcouth/Tridroid Records/2016 CD Review


  Flummox  are  a  band  from  Tennessee  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Selcouth"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Tridroid  Records.

 A  heavy  bass  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  also  brings  in  a  70's  doom  metal  vibe  along  with  some  heavy  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  retro  musical  direction  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can hear  elements  of  stoner  and  progressive  rock   throughout  the  recording  as  well   as  some  wah  wah pedal  style  guitar  solos  and  later  songs  also  start  mixing  in  more  high  pitched sludge  screams  and death  metal  growls   as  well  as  getting  more  avant  garde.

  Some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  when  bass  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  funk  feeling and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  blues  rock  as  the  album  progresses  while    later  song  also  introduce  spoken  word  samples  and  flutes  onto  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  take  a  70's  style  and  makes  it  sound  modern  again  and  on  the  last  songs  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  and  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats.

  Flummox  creates  an  album t hat  still  has  the  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  elements  of  previous  recordings  while  also  getting  more  experimental,  avant  garde  and  also  adding  in  more  classic  rock  elements  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy,  sill  scenarios,  literature  and  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Flummox  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive,  sludge  and  stoner metal  with  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  National  Selection"  "Hummingbird  Anthem"  "Pan's  Daughter"  and  "Bark,  Paddle  And  Ball".  8  out  of  10.